Category: Events

What do Penn Jillette, Bill Nye, Andrés Roemer, Johnny Depp, Maryam Namazie, and Killah Priest have in common? Two things: They all want reason — not religion — to guide public policy and they will all be speaking at Reason Rally 2016.

That the man who made science cool to generations of kids, the Mexican consul in San Francisco, in-demand Hollywood celebrities, an Iranian civil rights activist, a rapper — and more — are headed to Reason Rally 2016 on June 4 indicates the reach of the event’s message: Nonreligious voters cross all demographic lines and are coming out as a force to be reckoned with in upcoming elections.

“No longer hiding their lack of religion, ‘nones,’ atheists, and secular voters are demanding that their voices be heard and their votes sought,” says Lyz Liddell, executive director of Reason Rally 2016. “And those votes will go to candidates who base their policies on science and facts.”

Iranian civil rights activist Maryam Namazie adds another level of concern to the value of reason-based policy: the destabilizing effects of policies guided by religion. “I am excited about Reason Rally because the demand for reason, secularism, and universal rights in the age of ISIS is an historical task and necessity,” she says.

Joining her and other “nones” at Reason Rally 2016 will be scientists, such as Lawrence Krauss. “The Reason Rally is important precisely because it demonstrates for all to see that people who care about reason, rationality, and empirical evidence as the basis of public policy are not alone. We are far more prevalent than the media makes out,” Krauss says.

Reason Rally 2016 is a Voting Bloc Party to celebrate both the growing number of “nones” and their willingness to speak up for reason, with entertainers — Margaret Cho, Penn Jillette, Baba Brinkman, Julia Sweeney, John de Lancie, and Mark White — joining scientists —Carolyn Porco, Richard Dawkins, Eugenie Scott — in a four-day extravaganza of lobbying, comedy, music, and serious discussion about how to impact this election.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated vapers could go to jail for vaping in public places. This was an older version of this ordinance. The new ordinance has been updated and exempts violators from going to jail.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 City of Boca Raton City Council agenda, the issue of vaping is back on the agenda. The City Council meets at 6:00 p.m.at 201 W Palmetto Park Rd in Boca Raton, Florida. Earlier this year the council tabled the issue as not enough information was at hand to make a decision and most people speaking before the city council were against the proposed ban. We suspect the item was put on the agenda for purposes of voting it down as the council member who originally introduced it earlier this year is no longer on the city council. The issue was supposed to be tabled until the Florida legislature ended its session (this Friday) or when additional research comes to light.

WHY: Jesse Teplicki, 50, faces a felony count of possession of marijuana following his January 2013 arrest by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Teplicki, who suffers from a severe case of anorexia which suppresses his appetite and makes him nauseous, was arrested last year for the cultivation and possession of 46 marijuana plants. For the first time in Florida history, a jury will get to decide if cannabis was medically necessary in Mr. Teplicki’s case. Typically, these types of cases are decided by a judge.
Mr. Teplicki is being represented by Michael C. Minardi, a partner in the law firm of Kelley Kronenberg. Mr. Minardi has dedicated his legal practice to defending patients who use cannabis for medical purposes for the past decade.

YOU can take action by attending the meeting and speaking against proposed ordinance No. 5296. The ordinance can be found here. The penalty for violating the ordinance would be $500 and/or 60 days in jail! Here is a link to the meeting agenda. Whether you support vaping or not, do you really think someone should spend 60 days in jail for doing so? If not, then you MUST attend to contact Boca Raton City Council members to put a stop to this violation of personal and business rights.

February 10th – Supply and Demand talk by Dr. Robert Sussman at The Island in Lake Worth. Dr. Sussman puts forth an excellent presentation and although hosted by the Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County, it is something for everyone. https://www.facebook.com/events/1526648537594847/